The history of World War II is known by most Americans for its momentous events. Adolf Hitler, the Nazis, and concentration camps; the bombing of Pearl Harbor; D-Day; and America's use of nuclear warfare on Japan are likely the extent of World War II knowledge for the average educated American. Even facts closely associated with these major points—such as the maniacal oppression of Stalin and Mussolini that ran adjacent to Hitler's reign of terror, such as the fact that D-Day is not only synonymous with the invasion at Normandy but also that there were actually five strategic points at which the Allied forces invaded that day—are largely lost on even well-meaning or -educated Americans. World War II has become a historical staging ground of sorts for modern Americans to view like statues both villains and heroes, and to create a tidy history of the war that reflects his or her modern politics. As the very last of World War II's veterans age and die, it seems the second great war has irrevocably been placed into the land of big history and myth. Perhaps this is what must become of all great histories, given the fact that every day there is more and more history being created and more and more history to be interpreted, catalogued, and told.

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But the prisoners of war story in America should never be forgotten.

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LEJEUNE

JEFF

My name is Jeff Timothy LeJeune. I was born in south Louisiana and reside there today. Above all, I am a creator. I like to make things and enjoy the process involved in doing it. Subjects I enjoy include history, photography, literature, writing, sports, science, and filmmaking. I believe in a quotation from Leonardo DaVinci and try to live my life as if it were a fundamental truth: "Time stays around long enough for those who use it."